New chapter at WAM

The change of directors at the Worcester Art Museum offers a glaring contrast in backgrounds, personalities and leadership style that could shape the future of the renowned institution.

Jim Welu, a native of Iowa, who has retired after spending virtually his entire professional career at the local museum, was replaced by Matthias Waschek, a foreign-born international expert in the arts, whose résumé includes teaching, publishing, working at the Louvre in Paris and developing a modern arts foundation from scratch in St. Louis. He speaks four languages, and his Ph.D. from Germany’s Bonn University concentrated on art history and classical archaeology. His doctoral thesis was on French fin-de-siècle art theory.

Asked during a recent interview whether he sees his primary role in his current job as one of a scholar, manager, fundraiser, fiscal guardian, innovator or community leader, he replied: “All of the above.”

Born in Neumunster, Germany, Mr. Waschek calls himself an “army brat,” the son of an officer in the postwar German army with duties associated with NATO. He recalls the “linguistically challenging” experience of moving every two or three years, living in London while growing up, “always the outsider,” trying to find his way in different worlds. He says because “culture is an anchor” for people searching for identity, gravitating toward the arts was an easy choice. “There are many army brats who became art historians,” he suggests.

In the 1980s, he served as an assistant at the Wolfgang Wittrock Gallery in Dusseldorf, working in archival organization and library development, and later as co-director of international colloquia. He wanted to leave a divided Germany that was still struggling with the aftermath of World War II. “It was the tail end of the Cold War, and it was no fun living there,” he says. “So I looked for an anchor outside.” He found it in Paris, where he lived for 18 years. “Still, when the Berlin Wall came down, it changed my perspective,” he recalls. “It moved me to tears. I could breathe easier.”

He joined the Louvre in 1992 as head of academic programs and organizer of conferences and colloquia on art historical and archeological themes. “I have a weakness for symposia,” he says. “It’s all about communication.” He engaged high-level lecturers and has done extensive publication, focusing on such 19th-century French artists as Emile Bernard, Georges Seurat and Camille Pissarro. He has taught at Parsons School of Design in Paris, the University of LaRochelle and the École du Louvre.

While he enjoyed life in Paris, his job became “a glorious dead end.” There was the difficult question of “Where do you go after you’ve been at the Louvre?” The answer came in 2003 when he accepted the position of executive director with The Pulitzer Foundation of the Arts in St. Louis, an elegantly minimalist new museum funded by Emily Rauh Pulitzer, widow of the grandson of Joseph Pulitzer, publisher of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, after whom journalism’s greatest award is named.

Mr. Waschek developed and shaped the identity of the new museum, “an opportunity that comes along at best once in a lifetime.” After nearly a decade at the Pulitzer, it was time to move on to new challenges. He was one of 14 candidates emerging from a national search for the Worcester job. He says he was attracted by the museum’s “phenomenal collection” and the rich cultural climate of the New England region. He says the combination of tradition and history he experienced at the Louvre and the creativity that motivated his tenure with the Pulitzer Foundation offered by the Worcester Art Museum “resonates strongly with me.” A medium-sized encyclopedic museum “can afford to be more experimental and approachable in its reaction and exploration,” he explains.

Mr. Waschek, 50, is personable, erudite and eloquent. He speaks openly of his partner Steve, with whom he shares his new home on Forest Street. (“This would not have been possible 20 years ago,” he remarks. “Steve has been a great asset to me.”) Despite a low-key approach, he appears in charge, and has plans for the future. During his introductory remarks at the annual meeting, followed by a letter to the museum’s friends, he promised continuity while adding, “There will also be change.” He says: “With every new director, a new institutional chapter opens.”

A detailed action plan is now being considered by trustees, but some changes are already afoot. Tracy Caforio, a CPA and head of human resources, was named deputy director to strengthen management. A director of development will be selected. “We could use two or three more curators, and there may be architectural changes as well,” he says.

“We need more exhibitions to give new perspective to the collection,” he says. He envisions an institution of diversified cultures and audiences that “opens the door to an unsiloed (without silos) world.” He envisions placing collections from different cultures and periods (for example, 19th- and 20th-century American art) in the same gallery to “have them talk to each other.” To foster partnerships, he’s been talking with the city manager and others about possible collaboration between the museum and the larger community.

During his 37 years with the museum, Jim Welu has guided the institution to prominence. It’s reassuring that Matthias Waschek is well prepared to open a new chapter in progress.